Releasing device.



G. HUNT.

RELEASIN G DEVIUE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1909.

955,163, Patented Apr. 19,1910.

WITNESSES CHARLES HUNT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RELEASING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Application filed April 8, 1909. Serial No. 488,551.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Releasing Devices, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to releasing devices to be attached to life or other boats for launching the same from vessels and particularly to releasing devices which may be operated after the boat has reached the water by means within said boat.

Among the objects of my invention may be noted the following: to provide means by which the life-boat may be quickly released at both ends from its supportingtackle by means located within the boat; to provide a simple, compact, strong and effective releasing device for supporting va boat upon the launching-tackle; to provide a re leasing device which is positive in operation, strong in all its parts, and which can be made to instantly release the launchingtackle through a positive operating means.

Vith the above objects in view, and others which will be noted during the course of this description, my invention consists in the parts, features, elements, and combinations of elements as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have provided drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a life-boat showing my releasing device attached thereto at its opposite ends, together with the actuating mechanism and a portion of the launching-tackle in elevation; Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation and section of my releasing device detached from the boat; Fig. 3 is an outer-end elevation of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a partial elevation and section of a detail of the construction.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the base of the frame of my releasing device which will be secured to the fore and aft decks of the boat, as presently described by means of screws or bolts passing through the apertures 2, near the opposite ends of said base. At its inner end, the base 1 is provided with upwardly-extending parallel lugs 3, bored transversely for the reception of a journal-pin 4, passing through the hub or bearing 5 of the holding-bar 6,

the movement of which toward the base of the frame is limited, and the closed position of which, as shown in Fig. 2, is determined, by the fixture 7 grooved at its upper end at S, in a manner to conform to the outline of the bottom of the holding-bar 6. At its free end, the bar 6 is provided with the extension or lug 9, providing a seat for cooperating with the forward extension or lug 10 of a locking-block 11, journaled substantially midway between its ends on the pin 12, supported in the parallel bearings 13, extending vertically from the outer end of the base 1. The locking-block 11, at its outer end, is provided with the parallel ears 14:, through which passes the journal-pin 15, upon which is pivoted the upper narrowed end of the releasinglever 16, which at its lower end is rounded or convexed at 17, for frictional holding engagement with the outer end of the base 1 at the point 18, at which point it may be said the lever is seated.

Just below the ears 14, the lever 16 is provided with the lateral extensions affording shoulders 19, with which the bottom of said ears cooperates to produce pressure to relieve the strain on the journal-pin 15, and force the lever against the base, such pressure, when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, being created by the upward pull of the launching-tackle upon the bar 6, which is transmitted through the locking-block 11, the said lever 16 and through the latter vertically to the base 1 at the point 18. At its lower end, the releasing-lever 16 is provided with the outwardly and downwardly extending arm 20, having the elongated slot 21, extending lengthwise thereof, in which is received and moves longitudinally the crank-pin 22, carried by the upwardly-extending crank-arm 23, fixed to one end of a pin 24, journaled on the outwardly and downwardly extending portion 25 of the base 1, said pin 24: having the downwardly-extending crank-arm 26, fixed thereto, the lower end of which is provided with the aperture 27 for connection with the upper end of the link 28 of the actuating mechanism. At this point, it may be stated that the life-boat 29 is provided fore and aft with a deck 30, to each of which is secured one of my releasing devices, and that the said deck is provided with a suitable slot or opening 31, for the passage of the base-extension 25, together with the crank-arms 23 and 26, and for the play of the arm 20 of the releasinglever 16. The link 28, in each instance, is located below the deck 30, and at its lower end is connected with a rod 32, extending along the bottom of the boat and rigidly held and guided for longitudinal movement on the boat-bottom by means of the braces 33, said rods extending to near the middle of the boat, where each is provided with a toggle-link 34, the other ends of which are jointed at 35.

The normal closed position of the togglereleasing mechanism is shown in Fig. 1, which corresponds with the normal locked or closed position of the releasing devices. To manipulate the releasing mechanism, a hand-grip or handle 36 is provided at the toggle-joint, whereby a slight upward pull thereon will enable the joint to be broken at 35, whereupon the rods 32 will be moved toward each other, and the middle of the boat, in their guiding-braces 33, each thus drawing upon its link 28, which, in turn, operates the crank-arm 26, to rock the pin 24, which, in turn, rocks the arm 23, the crank-pin 22 of which will instantly move outwardly and run along the slot 21, and force the lower end of the lever 16 from its seat at 18, down the bevel or incline 18 on the base 1, thus instantly tripping the locking-block 11, so as to break the holding engagement between the lugs 10 and 9 of said block and holding-bar 6, respectively, and permitting said locking-block to turn upon its journal 4: and thus release the loops 3? of the launching-tackle 38.

Such necessary mechanical auxiliaries as frictional locking-pins 39, for holding the journal-pin 12 in place, and also the journalpins 4 and 15, if ecessary, may be provided, together with spot-screws or holding-pins 4L0, for holding the crank-arms and 26 upon the rocking-pin 2st; and a false bottom 41, of usual character, will be provided in the boat to cover the rods and toggle of the releasing mechanism, and said bottom may I be made in two parts and separated sufficiently, or made in one part and provided at its center with an opening 12, through i which to grip the handle 36 to manipulate I said toggle.

From the foregoing description, it will be clear that after the life boat has been launched from the vessel, or is at rest or nearly so upon the surface of the water, the releasing mechanism may be actuated by gripping the handle 36, breaking the toggle, and thus instantly operating both releasing devices to free the loops 3? of the launching-tackle. And it will be apparent that no matter at what time the releasing mechanism may be actuated, both the releasing devices will be actuated simultaneously so that both ends of the boat will be released from l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l r l l l l l l t l 1 1 l l l l l I l l l l l the launching-tackle at exactly the same time, thus avoiding any possibility of accident or spilling the people from the boat. Furthermore, the handle of the releasing mechanism is in such position in the boat that it can only be operated from the center thereof, and that the seat adjacent the opcrating-handle will ordinarily be occupied by a sailor, who, at the proper moment, will release the boat from the launching-tackle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A releasing device for boats, comprising a frame for attachment to a boat; a holding-bar journaled on the frame and adapted to hold a member of the launchingtackle; a locking-block cooperating with said holding-bar; a releasing-lever pivoted at one end to the locking-block and its other end cooperating with said frame; and means for actuating said releasing-lever to release the holding-bar.

2. A releasing device for boats, comprising a frame for attachment to a boat; a holding-bar journaled on the frame; a lockingblock journaled on the frame and cooperating with the holding-bar; a slotted lever cooperating with the block and the frame; and means operating in the slot of said lever for releasing the same from the frame.

3. The combination with a boat and launching-tackle therefor, of a releasing device secured to the deck at each end of the boat, each of said releasing devices comprising a frame having a holding-bar and cooperating locking-block for engaging the launching-tackle, said frame also having a portion extending through the deck of the boat, a crank-arm journaled on said frame-extension and connected with said locking-block, and means within the boat for actuating said crank-arm.

4. A boat provided on its end decks with releasing devices each comprising a holdingbar, a cooperating locking-block, and a releasing-lever extending below said deck; launching-tackle cooperating with each of said holding-bars; and means cooperating with said devices for releasing said tackle comprising a system of cooperating longitudinally movable rods and links located in the bot-tom of the boat below the deck thereof and connected to the releasing-lever by a crank arm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. McC. CHAPMAN, M. Hnnsnovrrz. 

